Stop motion for fabric making machines



Dec. 4, 1956 s. v. HAAS, JR 2,772,551

STOP MOTION FOR FABRIC MAKING MACHINES Filed July 24, 1953 3 Sheets-Shea; 1

FIG. I.

INVENTOR. SIDNEY V. HAAS, JR.

MMW

IQIIUENE Y I Dec. 4, 1956 s v, s, JR 2,772,551

N MACHI NES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 STOP MOTION FOR FA RI MAK Dec. 4, 1956 s v, s, JR 2,772,551

STOP MOTION FOR FABRIC MAKING MACHINES Filed July 24, 1953 3 Shee ts-Shee'v 3 FIG. 6. 751 A 23-22 INVENTOR. SIDNEY V. HMS, JR.

STOP MOTION FOR FABRIC MAKING MACHINES Sidney V. Haas, Jr., West Orange, N. J., assignor to Beaunit Mills, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 24, 1953, Serial No. 370,162

10 Claims. (Cl. 66-163) The present invention relates to a device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar mesh fabric mak ing machines in case of breakage or substantial loss of tension of one or more of the warp threads. More particularly, this invention relates to a warp-stop-motion mechanism of the type wherein the operation of suitable stopping means is controlled by detectors that are normally held in inoperative position by the warp threads so that breakage of a warp thread or substantial loss in tension therein permits the detector associated therewith to move into operative position.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved detector arrangement for warp-stop-motion mechanisms.

Another object of this invention is to provide detectors for warp-stop-motion mechanisms constructed so that the warp threads may be readily threaded through the detectors.

Still another object of this invention is to provide improved detectors for warp-stop-motion mechanisms constructed so that the warp threads cannot accidently become disengaged from said detectors.

A further objective of this invention is to provide an improved detector arrangement for warp-stop-motion mechanisms in which the detectors are disposed at slight angles with respect to warp thread to improve the operation thereof.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which it relates from the following specification, claims and drawings.

In accordance with this invention, there is provided an improved detector arrangement for warp-stop-motion mechanisms. This invention has special reference to detectors having openings through which the warp threads are passed, said devices being employed for the detection of broken warp threads and for stopping the machine upon the occurrence thereof. The detectors of this invention are provided with openings through which the warp threads pass and these openings are in communication with recesses through which the threads may be inserted into the openings. These recesses, however, are closed by a suitable bar extending through the detectors, once the warp threads are threaded through the detectors. This is accomplished by raising the detectors with respect to this bar during the threading operation and thereafter allowing the detectors to be supported by the warp threads slightly elevated from an electric busbar that is positioned below the detectors.

The detectors are spaced from each other by thin sheet metal spacer plates, the bottom portions of which are soldered into the spacer plate supporting member. These spacer plates are also provided with openings for receiving the previously mentioned bar that extends through the detectors and closes the thread receiving recesses thereof after the detectors have been threaded.

The electric busbar, heretofore mentioned, is supported on the side of the detector spacer plate supporting memher by suitable electrical insulating members. Oneside of the electric circuit is connected to the electric busbar United States Patent 2,772,551 Patented Dec. 4, 1956 and the other side is connected to the spacer plate supporting member. Therefore, the electric control circuit will be completed if a warp thread should break and drop the corresponding detector into contact with the busbar, since the detectors are in electrical contact with the spacer plates that are soldered to the spacer plate supporting member.

The detectors are formed of thin sheet metal and are provided with the warp thread receiving holes at the tops thereof, as described above. Furthermore, these detectors are spaced from each other by the thin sheet metal spacer plates positioned therebetween in such manner that the detectors may move up and down between the spacer plates which are fixed. The spacer plates, however, are not disposed at right angles with respect to the longitudinal axis of the spacer plate supporting member. They thus impart to the detectors the same angular disposition with respect to the spacer plate supporting member. As a result, the detectors are not disposed parallel to the warp threads but present a slight angle with respect thereto which permits the warp threads to pass through the detector openings much more freely and with substantially reduced wear. This reduces damage to the warp threads by the detectors and also reduces friction on the detectors and resultant wear thereof.

Further details of this invention will be set forth in the following specification and drawing in which, briefly:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the warp knitting machine embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view showing a group of warp threads held in spaced relation by a short length of adhesive or similar tape and being extended to the detector;

Fig. 3 is a plan view showing the operator placing the small group of threads, illustrated in Fig. 2, between the detectors;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side view of the detector and spacer plate assembly showing some of the detectors in elevated position ready for receiving the threads;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tool employed for raising the detectors as shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a detailed top view or" the detector and spacer plate assembly;

Fig. 7 is a side view taken along the line 77 of Fig. 6 showing one of the detectors in its raised position and supported by the thread;

Fig. 8 is a side view similar to Fig. 7 showing the detector elevated by the tool shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 9 is a side view similar to Figs. 7 and 8 showing the detector in its low position closing the circuit to the electric current busbar; v

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken along the line 1010 of Fig. 7 to show the thread passing through the aperture of one of the detectors; and

Fig. 11 is a view of one of the detectors showing how selected detectors may be removed from the bar extending therethrough when it is necessary to replace a defective detector or when certain detectors are unnecessary, as is the case when fabric of certain design is being roduced. I

Referring to the drawing in detail, there is shown in Fig. 1 a diagrammatic view of an arrangement employing this invention wherein the thread or yarn 1t wound upon the spool or beam 11 is unwound therefrom and passes over the roller or bar 12, to the detectors 13. From the detectors 13, the thread or yarn passes over another roller or bar 14 to the knitting machine 15 where it is knitted into a fabric that is wound upon the reel16. The knitting machine 15 is of conventional design and is driven by a suitable electric motor (not shown).

Thewa rp threadswound upon the beam 11 areheld inplace by a's'trip'of adhesive tape lla' that is placed across the outermost layer of warp threads adjacent to the ends thereof. When the beam 11 is supported in the machine ready to supply the'warp threads for the production of fabric, this tape 11a is cut, into short sections about an inch long so that a relatively small number of threads, such as may be conveniently handled by an operator, are provided. One of these small groups of threads is shown held together by the short length of tape 11b in Fig. 2. In this figure, this group of threads is shown advanced across the detector arrangement while the other threads, held together by the tape Ala, remain sagging next to the beam.

A plurality of the detectors 13 positioned side-by-side and spaced apart by thin sheet metal spacer plates 17 that are fixedly supported by the frame 18, as shown in Pig. 6, are employed in accordance with this invention. The detectors 13 and the spacer plates 17 are made of electrically conducting material as is also the frame 18, and this frame is connected by wire 19 to the relay 2t? which controls the circuit of the electric motor driving the machine 15, as shown in Fig. l. The other side of the relay 2!) is connected to one side of the battery 21 and the other side of this battery is connected to an electric current conducting busbar 22 that is supported on the side of the frame 18 by suitable insulators 23. Any suitable source of relatively low voltage current supply may be employed in place of the battery 21 as is well known in the art, and the electrical connections between the frame 18, the relay 2t), current source 21 and the busbar 22 may be varied depending upon the installations with which this invention is employed. A suitable switch (not shown) may also be employed in this circuit so that the operator may manually control this circuit at will.

As illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, the detectors 13 and the spacer plates 17 are not disposed at right angles with respect to the frame 18 but they are set askew with respect thereto so that the threads 10 approach the detectors 13 at small angles whereby the friction between the detectors l3 and the threads 10 is reduced to a minimum.

The frame 18 consists of a pair of side plates 18a and 18b between which the lower portions of the spacer plates 17 are positioned and fixedly held by solder file, the lower ends of the spacer plates 17 extending to the bottom of the frame 13. These spacer plates 17 do not extend between the frame members or plates 18a and 181) at right angles thereto but are slightly tilted, as shown in Fig. 6. In this way, a single tilt is given to the detectors 13 which are positioned between the spacer plates 37 since the latter act as guides for the detectors 13.

An elongated slot 24 is provided in the upper portion of each of the spacer plates 17 for the purpose of receiving the frame bar 25 that extends across the entire detector unit and functions to hold the detectors in assembled relation with respect to the spacer plates 17. For this purpose, an elongated slot 26 is provided to each de tector 13, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. This slot extends from the thread aperture 27 near the top of the detector 13 and almost to the bottom of the detector. The slot 26 is open to one side of the detector by recess 28 which is provided at approximately the middle portion of the detector.

Each of the detectors 13 is provided with laterally extending portions 13a and 13b near the bottoms thereof which provide weight to the detectors and also mechanical balance. The lateral portion 13b is wide enough to make contact with the electrically conducting busbar 22 when the detector is down, as shown in Fig. 9. In this position, the detector closes the circuit with the busbar 22 and causes the relay 20 to energize, unless this circuit is otherwise disabled by the operator. 7 Y

The threads 10 from the spool or beam 11 are threaded into the apertures 27 of the detectors 13, shown in'Figs. 7, 8 and 9, in groups. For this purpose, the thread ends on the spool or beam 11 attached to a strip of adhesive tape 11a, cut as explained above into short lengths apis prevented from producing a lar proximately an inch long which are convenient to handle, and these short lengths of tape and the threads adhering thereto are gripped by the operator as shown in Fig. 3 and passed over the detectors 13 and interleaved therebetween so that the threads extend parallel to each other between these detectors and the spool or beam. During this threading up process the detectors 13 are in raised position by the tool 13c, as shown in Figs. 4- and 8, so that the recesses 28 of the detectors are clear of the bar 25 but below the tops of the spacer plates 17.

For this purpose, there is provided a tool 13c that has a pair of finger grips 13d and a narrow depending portion 13:2 that fits between the busbar 22 and the frame 13, as shown in Fig. 8. This tool 13c is adapted to slide with the surface 13] thereof sliding on the frame 18. The operator pushes the tool 13c along so that the tapered forward portion thereof engages the bottoms of the detectors 13 and raises them to the position shown in Figs. 4 and 8. In this position the recesses 23 of the detectors 13 are positioned above the bar 25 but below the tops of the spacer plates 17. Thus, as the threads are inserted into the detectors through the recesses 23, the spacer plates 17 function as guards to prevent the insertion of any thread into the recess of more than one of the detectors 13.

After the threads are inserted into the slots 26 through the recesses 28, the detectors 13 are dropped down so that the threads are prevented from slipping out of these slots through the recesses 28 by the bar 25. This is important in cases where it is necessary or desirable to remove the detector arrangement from the machine during the thread ing up operation. The detectors 13 drop down as the operator moves the tool 13c inasmuch as the detectors 13 are supported by this tool during the threading up operation. The tool 13c may be provided both in a righthand or a left-hand design inasmuch as some operators may desire to proceed in the threading up of the detectors from one direction and others may desire to proceed from the opposite direction.

After all of the threads from the spool or beam 11 are threaded through the detectors 13, the threads are passed over the roller 14 and threaded into the machine 15. The threads then assume a working tension andraise the detectors 13 away from the busbar 22 to a position shown in Fig. 7. However, if any of the threads should break or otherwise develop an abnormally reduced tension, the corresponding detector 13 will drop down and contact the current carrying busbar 22 thereby closing the electric circuit of the relay 26 which will then be energized and caused to open the circuit of the electric motor driving the machine 15. The machine 15 will, thus, be brought to a stop so that the operator can remedy the defective thread condition and see to it that the machine 15 is placed back into normal operation. In this way, the machine 15 amount of defective fabric.

One of the apertures 2'7 of the detectors 13 is shown substantially enlarged in Fig. 10. These apertures should be large enough so that the edges thereof do not snag the thread. These detectors are preferably tumbled so that all sharp edges are rounded off. It is obvious that any desired size thread may be used simply by providing detectors with proper aperture sizes.

Furthermore, the detectors 13 are made of resilient material so that selected ones of the detectors may be removed from the bar 25 simply by applying pressure against the portion 13b in the direction shown by the arrow 13h. This application of pressure causes the portion 131' to spring out slightly and permit the bottom surface of the recess 28 to catch the bottom of the bar 25 so that the detector readily springs off of the bar 25 through the recess 28. 7

While I have described the preferred embodiment of this invention in detail, it is not desired to limit this invention to the exact details set forth, except insofar as they may be defined by the claims.

What I claim is as follows:

1. A device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar machines for making mesh fabrics in case of rupture of one or more threads, comprising, a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced therefrom, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors of electrically-conductive material, spacer plates which are also conductors of electricity, said spacer plates being positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with a perforation communicating with an opening on the side of the detector for receiving a thread, a bar extending through said spacer plates and said detectors for holding said spacer plates and said detectors in assembled relation, means slidably engaging said frame and said busbar for lifting said detectors so that the aforesaid thread receiving openings are positioned just below the tops of said spacer plates during the threading up of said detectors, and connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said circuit, said detectors being adapted to close the electric circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

2. A device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar machines for making mesh fabrics in case of rupture of one or more threads, comprising, a frame, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors of electrically-conductive material, means for spacing said detectors a distance equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with a perforation for receiving one of the threads, each of said detectors also having an elongated opening to the perforation thereof so that threads may be inserted into the perforations of said detectors, a flat bar engaging said detectors to prevent the threads from being accidently removed from said detectors through said elongated openings during the threading up of the device, and an electric current conductive busbar insulatingly mounted on said frame parallel thereto and below said thread controlled detectors, connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of saiad circuit, said detectors being adapted to close the electric circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

3. A device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar machines for making mesh fabrics in case of rupture of one or more threads, comprising, a frame, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors of electrically-conductive material, spacer plates which are also conductors of electricity, means for supporting said spacer plates on said frame in fixed relation for spacing said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with a perforation in its upper part for receiving one of the threads, each of said detectors also being provided with an elongated slot extending substantially throughout the length thereof and connected to said perforation, each of said detectors also having a recess cut substantially in the center thereof for providing an opening to said slot so that threads may be inserted into the slots and perforations of said detectors, a flat bar supported in slots formed in said spacer plates and extending through the slots formed in said detectors, and an electric current conductive busbar insulatingly mounted on said frame parallel thereto and below said thread controlled detectors, connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said circuit, said detectors being adapted to close the electric circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

4. A device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar machines for making mesh fabrics in case of rupture of one or more threads, comprising, a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced therefrom, a plurality of flat, elongated thread controlled detectors of electrically-conductive material, means positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with a perforation communicating with having an opening on the side of the detector for receiving a thread, means slidably engaging said frame and said busbar for lifting said detectors so that the aforesaid threadv receiving openings are unobstructed for the insertion of threads therein during the threading up of the device, connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said circuit, said detectors being adapted to close the electric circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

5.A device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar machines for making mesh fabrics in case of rupture of one or more threads, comprising, a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced therefrom, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors of electrically-conductive material, spacer plates positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with an elongated slot having an opening on the side of the detector for receiving a thread, a bar extending through said spacer plates and said detectors to hold said spacer plates and said detectors in assembled relation, said detectors being of resilient material so that selected ones thereof may be'removed from said bar, means slidably engaging said frame and said busbar for lifting said detectors so that the aforesaid thread receiving openings are positioned just below the tops of said spacer plates during the threading up of said detectors, and connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said circuit, said detectors being adapted to close theelectric circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

6. A device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar machines for making mesh fabrics in case of rupture of one or more threads, comprising, a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced there from, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors of electrically-conductive material, spacer plates positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with an elongated slot having an opening on the side of the detector for receiving a thread, a bar extending through said spacer plates and said detectors to hold said spacer plates and said detectors in assembled relation, means slidably engaging said frame and said busbar for lifting said detectors so that the aforesaid thread receiving openings are positioned above said bar but below the tops of said spacer plates so that said spacer plates prevent a thread from entering the opening of more than one of said detectors during the threading up of the detectors, connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric control circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said control circuit, said detectors being adapted to close said electric control circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

7. A device for automatically stopping warp knitting and similar machines for making mesh fabrics in case of rupture of one or more threads, comprising, a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced therefrom, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors, spacer plates positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with an elongated slot having an opening on the side of the detector for receiving a thread, a bar extending through said spacer plates and said detectors to hold said spacer plates and said detectors in assembled relation, a detector lifter slidably engaging said frame and said busbar for lifting said detectors so that the aforesaid thread receiving openings are positioned above said bar but below the tops of said spacer plates so that said openings are unobstructed for the insertion of threads, said detector lifter being adapted to be moved along on said busbar to permit the threaded detectors to drop down whereby said bar blocks the thread receiving openings of the threaded detectors until the entire device is threaded whereupon said detectors are raised and supported by the threads, connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric control circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said control circuit, said detectors being of electricallyconductive material and being adapted to close said electric control circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

8. A device for use with warp knitting and similar machines that employ a plurality of parallel threads sup plied thereto from a beam for making mesh fabrics, said device being adapted to detect rupture of one or more of the threads and comprising, a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced therefrom, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors positioned so that the fiat surfaces thereof are disposed at an angle to the threads, means positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with a perforation communicating with an opening on the side of the detector for receiving one of the threads, the threads passing through said perforations normally holding said detectors out of contact with said busbar, the size of said perforations and the aforesaid angle being such that the threads passing through said perforations are not subjected to damaging wear, connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric control circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said control circuit, said detectors being adapted to close said electric circuit between said busbar and said frame when one of the threads breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

9. A device for use with Warp knitting and similar machines that employ a plurality of parallel threads supplied thereto from a beam for making mesh fabrics, said device being adapted to detect rupture of one or more of the threads and comprising, a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced therefrom, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors positioned so that the flat surfaces thereof are disposed at an angle to the threads, spacer plates positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with a perforation communicating with an opening on the side of the detector for receiving one of the threads, the threads passing through said perforations normally holding said detectors out of contact with said busbar, the size of said perforations and the aforesaid angle being such that the threads passing through said perforations are not subjected to damaging wear, a bar extending through said spacer plates and said detectors to hold said spacer plates and said detectors in assembled relation, means slidably engaging said frame and said busbar for lifting said detectors so that the aforesaid thread receiving openings are positioned just below the tops of said spacer plates so that said spacer plates prevent a thread from entering the opening of more than one of said detectors during the threading up of the detectors, and connections for connecting said busbar to one side of an electric control circuit and connections for connecting said frame to the other side of said control circuit, said detectors being adapted to close said electric control circuit between said busbar and said frame when a thread breaks and a corresponding one of said detectors drops to contact said busbar.

10. A device for facilitating the threading up of stopping devices for warp knitting and similar machines used for making mesh fabrics and having a frame, a busbar mounted on a side of said frame spaced therefrom, a plurality of elongated and flat thread controlled detectors, spacer plates positioned between said detectors to space said detectors a distance substantially equal to the distance separating the threads, said detectors each being provided with an elongated slot having an opening on the side of the detector for receiving a thread, a bar extending through said spacer plates and said detectors, the improvement comprising a detector lifter slidably engaging said frame and said busbar for lifting said detectors so that the aforesaid thread receiving openings are positioned above said bar but below the tops of said spacer plates so that said openings are unobstructed for the insertion of threads, said detector lifter being adapted to be moved along on said busbar to permit the threaded detectors to drop down whereby said bar blocks the thread receiving openings of the threaded detectors until the entire device is threaded whereupon said detectors are raised and supported by the threads. 7

Plunkett Aug, 1, 1939 Siebert Sept. 2, 1952 

